WKU Meteorology

The Department of Geography and Geology at Western Kentucky University is poised to become the leader in Meteorology and Climatology in the Mid-South. Here are a few reasons why…

1) The new B.S. Meteorology degree at WKU will be the only meteorology program in Kentucky or Tennessee that meets American Meteorological Society (AMS) qualifications for the title “meteorologist,” and Federal Civil Service requirements (GS-1340) for employment by the National Weather Service.

2) The new B.S. Meteorology degree at WKU will be the only meteorology program in Kentucky or Tennessee that will enable TV broadcast meteorologists to immediately pursue the “Certified Broadcast Meteorologist” program of the American Meteorological Society upon graduation.

3) WKU is home to the new Kentucky Mesonet, a high-density, meso-scale network of nearly 100 automated environmental monitoring stations currently being developed across the commonwealth. The continously updated, locally accurate climatological data will be available to the agricultural industry as well as decision makers who must respond to extreme weather events such as tornadoes, floods, or ice storms. Mesonet data can help teachers challenge their students in math and science through innovative and engaging activities.

4) WKU has also been home to the Kentucky Climate Center since 1978. The Kentucky Climate Center is the State Climate Office for Kentucky and home to the State Climatologist, Dr. Stuart Foster. The mission of the Kentucky Climate Center is to conduct research and disseminate information of climatic variability and change, influences of the natural environment upon human activity, and impacts of human activity upon the natural environment.